The Ultimate Guide to London Toy Fair 2024: Must-See Highlights
London Toy Fair 2024
Every year toy industry manufacturers, executives, buyers, and press all gather for annual toy industry trade shows to demonstrate and sell the latest toy and game products. Among these globally renowned industry trade shows, the London Toy Fair stands out as a beacon of creativity, nostalgia, and innovation.
On 23rd January 2024, The Toy Coach Team attended the 70th Annual London Toy Fair to discover the hottest toy and game trends, and build the ultimate guide to toy trends.
The Size of the UK Toy Industry
The size of the UK toy industry in 2023 was valued at £3.5 billion [London Toy Fair]. While challenging economic conditions saw the value drop 5% from 2022 due to increasing economic concerns amongst consumers. With more than 65.5% of toys purchased in 2023 priced at £10 and less, toy companies are putting a focus on lower price point products, while working diligently to maintain their shrinking margins.
Top Toy Categories, Trends & Themes in 2024
After the year of Squishmallows, Plush and Collectibles were breakout toy categories of 2023, new plush collections from Aurora World and Kidrobot are just a few companies aiming to branch out their plushie ranges.
As we move into 2024 toy companies are leaning into Comfort and Wellness Toys, Inclusivity Toys, Games/Puzzles, Creative Toys, Value Toys and Multi Use Toys.
The core new theme that is continuing to gain steam is New Nostalgia. A theme that is fueled by releases of fresh takes on iconic brands in entertainment like Barbie, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and the modern takes on classic toys like Furby and Rubik’s Cube.
Hasbro Furbys and Furblets
The past few years, the adult party games category grew massively in the toy industry, and interest in this category from retailers is still holding strong today. This category is heavily led by trends on social media platforms like TikTok. After adult party games, the rise of ‘Kidult’ themes cannot be ignored.
Demystifying 'Kidult': What Does It Really Mean?
In the toy business, the term Kidult refers to adults who are interested in entertainment properties and products that are typically created for and marketed to children. The term Kidult was the keyword at the 2024 London Toy Fair. The combination of ‘kid’ and ‘adult’ sees this powerful trend marking 28.7% of today’s market value with a worth of £1 billion from the 12+ age group market [London Toy Fair].
The types of products that fall into the Kidult category can include collectibles, after-dinner games for all the family, retro revival toys, plush, collectibles and much more.
The Return To Outdoor Play
After the worldwide pandemic, parents want kids to spend more time outside to improve their mental health and to take breaks from their tablet screens. Because of this, we can expect to see a big rise in outdoor games and activities from scooters to garden sets and summer toys.
The Nostalgia Toy Revivals
Nostalgia toys are predicted to be in high demand with revivals of beloved toys including Rubix Cube’s 50th anniversary, Hachette Boardgames’ Quoridor PAC-Man game and Britain’s national treasure, the 66th birthday of Paddington Bear. London Toy Fair also celebrated huge toy birthdays from The Lion King’s 30th anniversary to Sanrio’s Hello Kitty turning 50 and Disney’s Donald Duck’s 90th birthday.
Basic Fun! aims to revive nostalgic well-loved brands including Care Bears, Pound Puppies, Tonka Trucks and Fisher-Price Toys. Basic Fun! have huge re-releases of Fisher-Price Toys vintage childhood classics including Chatter Telephone and See n’ Say Farmer Says.
Basic Fun! Care Bears Launch
One of their biggest brands, Care Bears, celebrates its 43-year-anniversary and is worth £6 million in the UK [London Toy Fair]. With their huge adult fanbase, these collectible bears are only growing from here with mini-Bears, limited edition bears and an Ooshies collaboration.
With Care Bears highly collectible range they are predicted to see big things with licensing deals including the Care Bears x H&M partnership which will see a clothing range for kids and Sambro’s snuggly developmental toy in the launch of ‘Care Bears Baby’ designed to appeal to their younger market.
Award Winning Toys at London Toy Fair 2024
At The London Toy Fair on 23rd January 2024 the British Toy & Hobby Association (BTHA) announced their 2024 Top 27 Hero Toys. A key trend amongst the Hero Toys was ‘affordability’. The most affordable toy started at £4.99 and 15 of the 27 toys were under £25. With ‘New Nostalgia’ being a key trend, John Adams Rubik’s 50th anniversary Retro Cube and Rainbow Designs ‘Paddington in a Phone Box’ made their way onto the list.
Other notable toys included John Adams’ Decora Girlz and Spin Master’s Unicorn Academy Wildstar Unicorn from the hit Netflix show. But taking the ‘Top Hero Toy’ was Leapfrog’s Magic Adventures Binocular Camera.
The British Toy & Hobby Association’s Top 27 Hero Toys of 2024
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Games & Puzzles
Peter Rabbit Fish and Count by Orchard Toys (£10.00) – Jan 2024 release. Shop All Orchard Toys on Amazon
Go Go UFO by Vivid Goliath (£19.99) – Jan 2024 release. Shop Goliath on Amazon
Surrounded by Idiots by Cartamundi Entertainment (£24.99) – 2024 release.
SmartGames IQ Gears by Smart (£13.99) – Spring 2024 release. Shop SmartGames on Amazon
Rubik’s 50th Anniversary Retro Cube by John Adams (£17.99) – Spring 2024 release. - Buy On Amazon
Arts & Crafts
Crystal Art Buddies Series 3 – Harry Potter Buddies by Craft Buddy (£4.99) – Feb 2024 release.
Pati-School Party Creations Starter Kit by Epoch Making Toys (£19.99) – July 2024 release.
Pati-School Party Creation Kit
Dolls, Collectibles & Plush
Fart Yoga by Golden Bear Toys (£19.99) – Autumn/Winter 2024 release. Shop on Amazon.
Decora Girlz 5” Sticker ‘N Style Dolls (£12.99) – March 2024 release.
John Adams Decora Girlz
Disney Doorables Squish’alots Squish Machine by Just Play (£29.99) – Aug 2024 release.
Disney Stitch Crack Me Up Laughing Plush by Just Play (£24.99) – Aug 2024 release.
Unicorn Academy Rainbow Light Up Wildstar Unicorn by Spin Master (£35.99) – July 2024 release.
Spin Master Unicorn Academy Wildstar Unicorn
Outdoor, Pre-School, Tech & Others
Numberblocks Rainbow Counting Bus by Learning Resources (£25.95) – Jan 2024 release. - Show on Amazon
Jada Wednesday RC Thing by Simba Smoby UK (£32.99) – Jan 2024 release.
Hero of Goo Jit Zu Hero Creator Pack by Character Options (£19.99) – Autumn/Winter 2024 release.
Purro by Character Options (£49.99) – Autumn/Winter 2024 release.
Smart Ball Kick Tracker by Golden Bear Toys (£14.99) – Autumn/Winter 2024 release.
Jellystone Designs Calm Down Bottle – Galaxy by Halilit (£14.99) – Feb 2024 release.
Teamsterz Pirate Ship by HTI (£24.99) – Autumn/Winter 2024 release.
Paddington in a Phone Box by Rainbow Designs (£24.99) – Aug 2024 release.
Rainbow Designs Paddington Bear
Natural History Museum: Let’s Learn Dinosaurs by Galt (£16.99) – Spring 2024 release.
Build My Ice Cream Truck by Mookie Toys (£24.99) – Sept 2024 release.
TP Balance Bike to Trike by Mookie Toys (£34.99) – Aug 2024 release.
Godzilla x Kong Heat Ray Breath RC by Simba Smoby UK (£79.99) – Jan 2024 release.
Paw Patrol Rubble & Crew Barkyard Crane Tower (£79.99) – July 2024 release.
Miraculous: Paris Fashion Show by Playmobil (£44.99) – March 2024 release.
Magic Adventures Binocular Camera by LeapFrog (£69.99) – Jul 2024 release.
Leapfrog Magic Adventures Binocular Camera
Our Favourite Toy Finds at London Toy Fair 2024
Board Games
Board games were a huge hit at London Toy Fair 2024. From preschool puzzles and after-dinner family games to adult-party games - expect big things this year from the puzzle and games category!
Iconic Partnerships
Crypton Hatsune Miku Puzzle Set
Crypton’s licensed partnership with Anime character, Hatsune Miku sees a 4-part puzzle for release in summer 2024. Also distributed by Click Europe are the boppi Tiny Trekker Kids Backpack (£19.99 RRP) and suitcases with animal and food-themes along with their personalised football luggage range. bopsters latest puzzle maps include London, and New York.
bopster Puzzle Maps
Hasbro Gaming teamed with Mattel for the Monopoly Barbie edition (£28.99 RRP) after Barbie’s box-office summer hit. And Hachette Board Games latest release is the Katamino Tower (£34.99 RRP) which has 3D wooden shape jigsaw puzzle pieces that fit together to build a tower.
Hachette BoardGames
Multi Challenge Games
Search Party: Chaos at the Park Family Game
On display was the Search Party: Chaos at the Park by the creators of the popular What Do You Meme? games. Also on display was Better Than Yesterday (£19.99 RRP) which includes 365 daily challenges (one for each day of the year) for adults to live a more fulfilling life. It was also fun to play the Squishmallows Take4 game!
Squishmallows Take4 Game &
Exclusive Benny Plush
Big Potato Games launched plenty of new games with Herd Mentality (£20 RRP), Chicken vs. Hot Dog (£24.99 RRP), Sounds Fishy (£17 RRP) and You Can’t Say Umm (£19.99 RRP).
Big Potato Games
Family Games
Clarendon Games Priorities
There’s endless fun to be had with Clarendon Games' extensive catalogue of family after-dinner games from Doodle Mayhem (£19.99 RRP) to Priorities (£21.99 RRP). And Quick Hangman is set to launch later this year which was great fun playing at Toy Fair! Professor Puzzle also had so many great games on display.
Professor Puzzle Games
New Twists On Plush Toys at London Toy Fair 2024
Plushies truly took over the toy fair. Plushies come in all sizes from keychains to XL plushies. Big current trends are ‘Food Plushies’ and ‘Kawaii plushies’. ‘Kawaii Kuties’ are the latest extra-large plushies along with Hasbro’s revival of Furby with their regular-sized Furby’s the world knows and loves and introducing mini ‘Furblets’.
Kawaii Kuties XL Plush
Kidrobot’s Yummy World is the latest interactive food plush. This trendy plush world features food pillows, plushies, keychains and pins. Yummy World’s bestsellers are the XL food plushies which feature mini food plushies inside. Their US bestsellers, the XL Jack O’Lantern ($39.99 RRP) contains mini candy corn plushies inside and their ‘XL Victorio Veggie Taco Plush Set’ ($54.99 RRP) has mini plush ingredients inside including tomatoes and avocados to complete the Taco meal.
Kidrobot’s ‘Phunny’ Plush features licensed pop-culture characters from Netflix’s Wednesday to iconic Horror characters like Michael Myers. Interestingly, these horror plushies are loved by their younger audience just as much as their ‘Kidult’ fanbase.
Kidrobot Phunny Plush Range
Kidrobot’s interactive ‘The Thing’ plush from Netflix's ‘Wednesday’ featured as a ‘Top Hero Toy’. But their biggest launch is the Dudgeon and Dragons range with ‘Phunny’ plushies to mini vinyl figures to coincide with 2023’s box-office hit, Dungeons and Dragons: Honour Among Thieves.
Also expected to be big are the brand-new plush collections - Jazwares BumBumz and Aurora World’s Palm Pals. Palm Pals stand at 5 '' tall and BumBumz are available in two sizes at 4.5” and 7.5” tall.
Aurora World Palm Pals
The Dragons-Den-backed Mood Bears are vibrant bears that reflect different moods. Their paws show their emotions with Silly, Happy, Calm, Sad and Angry along with their best-selling rainbow bear reflecting ‘Hope’. Each bear comes in mini (£12.99 RRP) and large (£22.99 RRP). Their latest line are the Talking Mood Bears (£34.99 RRP) for their younger fans.
Mood Bears
Cute and Mini Collectibles at London Toy Fair 2024
Non-plush collectibles included Kawaii-based Tokidoki’s Boozy Besties! (£14 RRP) and Cactus Bunnies – Series 2 (£14 RRP).
Tokidoki Cactus Bunnies - Series 2
FunVille released new doll lines with Fashion Dreameez and Sweetyz. The Sweetyz collection features mini and playline dolls and ‘Scoops’ plushies all displayed in ice cream-themed packaging.
FunVille Sweetyz Scoops Plush, Mini Donut Dolls & Candy Collection Dolls
Creative Arts & Crafts Toys at London Toy Fair 2024
Curious Universe’s Crystalverse sees classic kits (£14.99 RRP) and Deluxe kits (£25 RRP) starring characters, KiKi, Starlana and Apollo designed to add sparkle to the unicorns.
Curious Universe Crystalverse Unicorns
Crazy Aaron's Thinking Putty (£9.99 RRP) comes in various new editions from Mermaid Tale putty to putty with hidden flower pieces.
Crazy Aarons Thinking Putty Range
The new Bladez Toys partnership sees their ‘Creative Maker Kitz’ collaborations with Mattel’s Barbie and Monster High lines. Barbie gets her ‘Make You Own Dream House’ with cardboard pieces for easy assembly and stickers to decorate.
Bladez Toys Barbie Dream House
The Monster High ghouls get their own School Playset standing at 1.2m tall and a School Bus. These are set for an Autumn/Winter release.
Personal Favourite at London Toy Fair 2024
My name is Hannah Taylor and I’m thrilled to report on the London Toy Fair for The Toy Coach Team. You can connect with me on LinkedIn.
Hannah and Sonic at London Toy Fair 2024
My personal favourite is Hasbro’s Littlest Pet Shop which is licensed by Basic Fun! and distributed by Bandai in the UK.
Littlest Pet Shop Pets
The Generation 7 pets come in blind boxes, 3-pack tubes and themed 5 packs.
Happy reading!